


Raising The Stakes

by typoqueen



Series: Horror on the Holodeck [2]
Category: Dracula - Bram Stoker, Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Dracula - Freeform, F/M, Flirting, Holodeck, Making Plans, captain's quarters, gothic horror, restraining themselves, star trek voyager - Freeform, they want it so bad, weekly dinners, what happens on the holodeck stays on the holodeck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-17 15:53:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29595150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/typoqueen/pseuds/typoqueen
Summary: Janeway and Chakotay embark on a new adventure in the holodeck, embracing everything from the Lambda One program that brought them closer together. Boundaries and pride intact, the pair decide on a piece of classic literature to base their new holonovel on...
Relationships: Chakotay & Kathryn Janeway, Chakotay/Kathryn Janeway
Series: Horror on the Holodeck [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2173701
Comments: 63
Kudos: 55





	1. There Are Darknesses In Life

**Author's Note:**

> This follows on directly from my recent fic, Janeway Lamba One: The Missing Chapter. If you've not read that yet, I recommend starting there so you can get a feel for where we're at at the beginning of this one! 
> 
> This series is really just about combining my love of gothic horror literature with Star Trek Voyager. It won't be for everyone, but I'm having fun at the moment. Please feel free to leave a comment if you have any ideas, suggestions, or wishes for future chapters!

A week or so after their kiss during the Lambda One program, Captain Janeway sat down with her first officer for one of their weekly dinners. There was a vase of flowers set out- some pretty peonies and chrysanthemums that had such an innocent look to them. Kathryn was making a simple pie that evening. Simple by choice, because she didn’t have the brain capacity to think about anything other than the thoughts that were plaguing her mind. She couldn’t focus on anything else but addressing what had happened on the holodeck the week before. 

Images passed across her mind while she was preparing the food, images of sweet little Beatrice in Chakotay’s arms, the way they had both put her to bed, and the kiss they had shared in the hallway afterwards. They had gone back downstairs following that moment, and had sat in the drawing room by the fire, but as soon as they had leaned in to share one more kiss, Chakotay had received a communication from B’Elanna and the moment was ruined. They’d awkwardly sat there for a while, unsure of how to proceed, and then the program had been interrupted by the next person who had booked out time on the holodeck. 

That kiss had played in Janeway’s mind all week. They still hadn’t talked about it, and she knew that this was the night to do so. She was sure that Chakotay knew that too, because when he’d arrived he was all smiles as usual but there was a tinge of doubt in the way his eyebrows moved. There was also a spark of hope in the twinkle in his eyes while they laughed and chatted like they always did, and drank wine with their food like they always did, and looked longingly across the table like they always did. And at the end of the meal, Kathryn allowed her gaze to turn to his with a sort of semi-serious look on her face. 

“Chakotay, I think we need to discuss what happened last week. In my holonovel.”

“Yes, you’re right, Captain. I think--”

“If we’re going to do this we need to set out some rules.”

“Of cou--” Chakotay started, froze, and looked at Kathryn quizzically with an incredulous grin on his face. “What?”

“We can do what we like on the holodeck. But on every other part of the ship- especially on the bridge- we pretend it never happened. We don’t speak about it. We don’t tell anyone. We carry on as normal. If you’re happy to agree to all that, then we can… arrange some more holoprograms together.”

The first officer laughed and shook his head, setting down his wine glass lest he drop it into his lap. There was not a word out of Kathryn’s mouth that he hadn’t longed to hear her say. Of course, he would prefer it if they didn’t have to keep secrets, but he understood and knew that was the only way it could happen. Of course, he’d expected her to reiterate her professional boundaries. And of course, he would have agreed without hesitation to whatever she wanted. This was something else, though, and his heart skipped a beat.

“I wasn’t expecting that.”

“Neither was I.”

“So, now what?”

“So now we finish our wine, and decide what program to do next.”

“I’ll go anywhere with you.”

“I’m sure you would,” Janeway laughed. “You know, the little trip to the fourth floor had me really intrigued by the idea of mysteries and horror and ghosts. Perhaps we could explore that a little more as well, while we’re on the holodeck.”

“I’d really enjoy that. I’ve been thinking, actually, how different it was to experience something that was designed to put fear in your heart but also be fun. The adrenaline rush was incredible. Did you have something in mind?”

“Wasn’t it just,” agreed Kathryn, who would think of a few other moments that gave her a rush in that holonovel as well. The image of Chakotay holding Beatrice close, fatherly and protective, flashed across her mind. Then she remembered their kiss again, outside the bedroom door. She wondered if that feeling of closeness was unique to post-terror adrenaline come-downs, and in the back of her mind was acutely aware that she wanted that entire feeling all over again. The fear and the passion, together. “Well, I’ve read a few classic horror novels in my time, but it wouldn’t hurt to hash out some ideas and come up with something new together. We could stick to the classics or devise our own. I guess it depends how much fun you want to have and how much horror.”

“Perhaps equal measures of both,” Chakotay grinned, sliding his leg towards Kathryn’s under the table. He felt her foot against his calf, rubbing up and down. Sparks went off in his chest.

The Captain knew exactly what she was doing. Touching him like that, even just with her foot, was a one way ticket to breaking her own rules she had set just two minutes before. However, she knew she had the resolve to stop herself if they got too close. It was almost like a test of Chakotay’s patience; she was toying with him to see what he’d do. 

“There was always an element of passion and love, even if it was on the darker side, in gothic horror of the Victorian period. Have you read Bram Stoker’s Dracula?” 

“I might have heard the short version. Man drained of blood. Woman seduced by a vampire. A hunt. A transformation. An escape.”

“What do you think of that?”

“For us?”

“Sure. I mean not the draining of blood and seduction by a monster, but the rest of it could be exhilarating,” she explained herself. Janeway imagined them as a team, stalking through the Count's castle, searching for him and his brides to drive a stake through their heart. Morbid, but definitely an adventure Kathryn was willing to try. "Wanna go vampire hunting?” The grin on her face when she asked that question was second to none, but followed closely by Chakotay’s.

“I think you know the answer to that one, Kathryn.”

“That’s settled, then. I’ll cheers to that.”

Their glasses clinked together, and Voyager’s Captain and first officer finished their wine in one, letting the alcohol mix with the growing anticipation they both felt in the pit of their stomachs. Kathryn resumed moving her ankle against Chakotay’s leg, eyeing him with cautious flirtation. Perhaps she was not as strong willed as she had thought. Part of her had always suspected if they kissed, even just once, that she would never be able to stop kissing him. Her foot rose a little higher under the table, moving up his leg. 

_ Am I testing him or myself? _ She asked herself, questioning her very motive. But before she could answer it, she was caught off guard by his hand reaching down and grabbing her by the ankle, lightning quick and firm as anything. Janeway gasped, then bit her lip as she raised an eyebrow at him.

“Thank you for dinner, Captain,” Chakotay offered politely, a wry smile showing his Captain that he’d figured her game out exactly. The commander ran his thumb gently against her leg, then lowered her foot to the floor. “Shall we say 1900 hours tomorrow? I’ll let you sort the program out, since you know this story much better than I do.”

With that, Chakotay rose from the table and made his way to the door, intent on not crossing that boundary with her now the rules of play had been set. _On the holodeck only_. Nowhere else. Professionalism on the ship- and that included Kathryn’s quarters.

“Thank you for dinner, as always,” he said softly at the door, turning to look at her with that same little half-smile that always sent Kathryn’s heart into a flutter. 

“My pleasure,” Janeway replied. “Goodnight, commander.”

“Goodnight, Captain.” 


	2. And There Are Lights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Captain and Chakotay join a ragtag team of vampire hunters to seek out Lucy Westenra.

“Look here,” Van Helsing muttered, throwing a newspaper down onto the table in front of the acquaintances gathered there. He pointed at a column on the front page, and Doctor Seward picked it up to read it aloud. The article described the events as witnessed by a young boy who had been stalked by a beautiful lady late at night. And another report the following day- this time a young girl had been followed. 

“Do you think… it’s her?” Holmwood asked, his voice shaky. 

“I believe it is,” Van Helsing replied, sympathy and resolve in his voice at the same time. This could only end badly. “I must pay Lucy a visit this evening, to prevent any harm coming to anyone else in Highgate.”

“Very well. We shall join you, won’t we, Dr Seward?” Quincey asked, to which Seward nodded. “Arthur, I would understand if you would rather not attend.”

“I should be there. She would have wanted me to be there,” stated Holmwood, although he did not sound all too certain. He looked over at his friends, who were all deep in thought. “Jonathan? Mina? Will you join us?”

Captain Janeway rose from her chair, brushing out the creases in her dress. With a few alterations to the original novel, herself and Chakotay had slotted right into the little team that was headed on a journey to defeat Dracula. It was, perhaps, a little more whimsical than her usual tastes, but it was the adrenaline she was really after, and that part would be coming soon. Mina’s friend Lucy Westenra had died, and Abraham Van Helsing had deduced the cause to be blood loss. The death, however, was not permanent. Poor Lucy was cursed to become a vampire, and that was who had been stalking those children in the night. Now the team- which included Lucy’s fiancé Holmwood and his friends Quincey and Doctor Seward- were on a course to put a stop to Lucy’s waking death. 

“Of course,” Kathryn replied. “Won’t we, Jonathan?” 

“Without a doubt.” Chakotay stood as well, shaking off the funny feeling he got whenever Kathryn called him by his character’s name. “What do we do?”

With a sombre sort of grunt, Van Helsing produced a long wooden stake from somewhere hidden in his clothing, and put it down on the table. He was a little older than the rest of the characters in the room, and the sort of man that everybody trusted without hesitation, even if they didn’t understand what he meant. Average height but very muscular, he wore clothes that disguised just how strong he really was, which was an advantage to him if it ever came down to a fight. Van Helsing liked to be able to take people- or things- by surprise. Beneath his brown cloak, he wore layers of clothing that could easily conceal hidden weapons if he needed, thick trousers, and leather boots. He was an intimidating man, despite the tenderness he showed in his deep, blue eyes when talking about Lucy. He ran a hand through his dark reddish hair, and pointed at the stake he had placed on the table for the group to see.

“I suggest we each carry one of these. If Lucy is indeed tainted with a vampiric curse, we will need to use a wooden stake to drive through her heart.”

“That is too horrible to bear,” whispered Holmwood, his face white as a sheet.

“I understand, my friend. But know this: if we do not act soon, there may be an infestation of demons that we are unable to combat with just the six of us here.”

“Very well. But I don’t think Mina should witness this venture.”

“Ah, you would do well to remember that Mina has already witnessed a great deal. Perhaps her connection to Lucy will act as an advantage to us if it comes to a confrontation. Mina, are you prepared to accompany us on this mission of grave peril?” Van Helsing asked, directing those steely eyes towards Janeway, who wore Mina’s clothing with a sense of strength and stoic eagerness that she wasn’t entirely sure was quite so present in the book.

“Undoubtedly.” Came her steady reply. Kathryn found that she was even _excited_ to get on with the hunt. She felt Chakotay rest a hand on her shoulder and looked up at him with anticipation, reading in his face what she felt in herself. Her hand came up to meet his and their fingers entwined as his thumb stroked her shoulder.

“The real question is do you have enough weapons for us all, Van Helsing?” Chakotay asked, smiling at the older man with the mysterious eyes. While their comrades were preparing themselves for the trip with quiet contemplation and attempting to still their quivering nerves, Chakotay and Kathryn were chomping at the bit to get out there already. He squeezed Kathryn’s hand and pulled her closer to him, letting go of her hand and wrapping his arm around her so she was nestled against him. 

Van Helsing answered only by walking to the other side of the room they were in, which was a large underground sort of office that he used to store his research and equipment in, and retrieved a large, wooden trunk. Somehow, he managed to lift the entire enormous thing onto the table in the centre of the room and spring the brass latches on the front of it. As it opened up, the rest of the group looked inside to see an abundance of weapons of all varieties. Kathryn and Chakotay peered in with interest, each of them making a mental note to talk about how strange it all seemed later. They were, of course, used to phasers and photon torpedoes above crossbows, daggers, and revolvers.

“The daggers and revolvers won’t be much help to us in this instance. Those are for… other encounters. Crossbows may be of use if you make sure to use the wooden arrows. Stakes, generally, are my preferred choice. They are wide enough that if you aim in the general vicinity of the heart, you usually can’t miss.”

Seward, Quincey, and Holmwood each picked up a stake, turning it in their hands to gauge the weight and strength of such a thing. They watched as Harker- Chakotay- followed suit. Janeway, however, went straight for the crossbow, ignoring any sense of bewilderment from the men around her.

_ Of course she would _ , Chakotay thought, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

“Are you sure you want that one, Mina?” Quincey asked, shooting Kathryn a concerned look.

“I think I can handle myself, boys,” she replied, cocking the crossbow and loading it with a wooden arrow she had just plucked from the trunk.

Van Helsing arched a brow and smirked, almost impressed. 

“Well, Mina, let’s hope you’re right. Is all our company ready?” 

A few murmurs of assent later, and the six of them were on their way to the graveyard where Lucy Westenra had been buried just days before. The three young men spoke among themselves, mostly in empathy towards Holmwood who had already lost his fiancee once and was about to lose her all over again in a most horrific manner. They trailed behind Van Helsing who hailed them a carriage, and once they were all aboard, they game was truly afoot. Crammed into the small space, the six of them shared stern looks and words of encouragement, eager to get this over and done with.

Janeway was looking out of the window to the right hand side of the carriage, her fingers absentmindedly stroking Chakotay’s hand where he sat to her left. As the scenery passed by, she thought deeply about Voyager and her crew, wondering what they would all do if they were faced with the threat of vampires. It was amusing to her, almost silly to think about. As she imagined B’Elanna staking Dracula with utter glee, she saw the wrought iron arch and fencing that she was sure marked the entrance to the graveyard.

“We’re here,” she said, to which the others nodded, tightening their grips on the weapons that Van Helsing had entrusted to them. Kathryn flung open the door to the carriage as soon as it halted, the cold night air hitting her in the face with a certain thrill. Swinging the crossbow over her shoulder, she rose from her seat and disembarked.

The haphazard group of vampire hunters alighted from the carriage one by one onto the gravelly path that led to the entrance to the graveyard. An eerie calmness was hanging in the air like smoke in an opium den, and a thick mist rolled over the ground towards them. A full moon was settled heavy in the sky, resting on the velvet blackness full of expectation. Janeway smirked. The holodeck was pulling out all the cliched tropes to spook them tonight. 

“Stay together,” Van Helsing warned. “And watch your backs. The night is still young, it is unlikely she is… Unlikely she is walking at this moment. I imagine we shall find her where we laid her to rest. This way.”

The six unlikely friends made their way through the iron archway and into the graveyard. They wound through gravestones and trees, careful not to step on anything they shouldn’t. As the fog rolled in heavier, they found they could no longer see their own feet as they walked, which made avoiding rocks and roots a little harder. Chakotay found himself putting a protective hand on Kathryn’s arm, but she merely looked at him like he was crazy. 

“Just you wait,” she whispered to him. “It’ll be  _ me _ protecting  _ you _ in a moment. Have fun with your pointy stick.” The Captain shrugged her left shoulder to give her crossbow a little jiggle, winking at Chakotay mirthfully. 

“I’ve had enough hand-to-hand combat training to know how to use this,” the commander replied, catching Kathryn by the waist and pulling her into him. He eyed their companions to make sure they weren’t looking and pushed her up against a tree nearby. Chakotay pressed his face to her neck, breathing in the scent of her skin and kissing her once, very softly, before biting her. “You’d better watch out, Kathryn. If I were a vampire, I’d have had you by now.”

The tantalising sensation of him against her neck like that sent every nerve in Janeway’s body singing with excitement. With her breath quickening, she leaned into his touch a little, then pushed him backwards with one hand while the other steadied her against the thick tree trunk she was pressed up against. 

“Oh, commander. You wouldn’t even be able to get close to me if you were,” she whispered back, kissing him softly at the corner of his mouth. “I’d have you on the ropes in no time.”

Chakotay groaned as Kathryn pushed him away, and he had to remind himself to breathe as she pretended to point the crossbow at him. She winked at him, and then gestured for him to hurry up. Already walking away, Kathryn breathed deeply to get rid of that longing that was sending signals to her brain to pause the holoprogram and finish what Chakotay had tried to start. Looking back, she saw him standing there watching her, and gestured at him again. He grinned like a fool, jogged for a few short paces and fell into step behind her as they caught up with the rest of their group. 

_ How very fitting _ , Janeway thought as they approached Lucy’s crypt. The moonlight seemed to shine directly down onto the stone structure as it lay before them across the graveyard. The shine from the moon glinted off the inscription above the door, which was laid in gold, and the rolling fog parted slightly to guide them towards the entrance. The cold marble slabs that made up the mausoleum were run through with veins of black and grey, and in the daylight would have looked rather grand. But here, in the dark of night, surrounded by fog and fear, the cold stone told only stories of death and not the riches of a wealthy family.

Van Helsing was at the door to the crypt, fumbling with keys provided to him by Holmwood, who was standing behind the older man. 

Holmwood’s hand twitched and he switched positions with his stake to mask it. 

Seward saw this and patted his friend on the shoulder.

“We’ll get through this, old chap,” he said, although his voice was rather solemn.

The lock mechanism clicked into place, and the door to the mausoleum swung open. It would have almost seemed inviting, if Janeway hadn’t known better. She could feel Chakotay’s hand at her waist, and she knew how eager he was to get inside and confront whatever it was they would find in Lucy’s coffin. In front of her lay a dark and frightful tomb, a crypt devoid of life or love, a place of breathless decay that soon enveloped the group of six as they stepped within its marble walls. Kathryn laced her fingers with Chakotay’s, but kept her other hand firmly on the crossbow that sat over her shoulder.

Lucy’s coffin lay atop a huge marble slab in the centre of the mausoleum, which Van Helsing approached with caution. The hunter wasn’t sure if he should be the one to open it, his dark eyes looking around his comrades to see if they had any thoughts on the matter. They did not, so he pulled a crowbar from his belt and began to pry the edge of the lid away from the coffin itself. The creaking and cracking of wood echoed in the vacuous tomb, playing out in the eardrums of each of the adventurers. 

“Ready yourselves, my friends,” Van Helsing spoke quietly and with some urgency. He was nearing the final part of the lid that needed lifting, his strong hands having made light work of the rest of it. 

The crew raised their stakes in their fists, aiming the sharpened points towards the coffin. 

Janeway let go of Chakotay’s hand immediately, readying the crossbow with a short, sharp motion that drew back the arrow in a split second. It was as if she’d been firing arrows all her life. Her eyes were trained on the top end of the coffin, waiting patiently for the lid to be removed and for Lucy to become visible in the dim glow of the moonlight. The Captain was poised with one foot behind her, breath held, fingers ready to release the arrow…

But when Van Helsing got the lid free and Doctor Seward pulled it away, Holmwood gasped and Quincey held a hand over his mouth in shock. Van Helsing thumped his fist against the side of the coffin, looking up at his companions from under sombre eyes, muttering with his deep voice words that would linger in the air for far too long for anyone’s liking.

“We’re too late.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My god this was as difficult to write as it was fun. I love Dracula by Bram Stoker and sincerely hope I've done it justice in this segment. I've jumped in around the middle because the first part would have been boring for Janeway and Chakotay. It feels so strange to write Star Trek into Dracula but I'm loving it, and I hope you are too hehehe. More to come~


	3. And You Are One Of The Lights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who knew killing vampires could be so romantic?

The inside of the coffin was lined with delicate white satin and the pillow edged with handmade lace that probably cost a small fortune. There was an indentation on the pillow where Lucy’s head had lain, but the coffin itself was barren. After the company of six had all digested the fact that Lucy Westenra’s coffin was, in fact, empty, they lowered their weapons and looked to Van Helsing for guidance.

The red headed man with eyes of inky blue looked around at his companions, opening his mouth to speak, but stopped all of a sudden when his eyes fell upon the door they had all entered the mausoleum through. There, framed by moonbeams that splintered through the doorway like fragments of frozen silk, stood the silhouette of a thin and hunched woman, whose dull blonde hair fluttered around her head in a haunting fashion. Lucy's burial dress was a pale pink, but seemed white and translucent with the moon behind it, and also shifted in the breeze to horrifying effect. A low hiss came from the silhouette’s mouth as she stepped towards the six intruders who had invaded her resting place. 

“Oh, my Lucy! My Lucy!” Holmwood exclaimed, his voice a high pitched panic, full of despair and anguish. “What has happened to you, my love?”

There came no reply whatsoever as the figure stepped down into the mausoleum. It moved with an alarming sense of otherness, as if it could step through time yet still be anchored to one point. As it twitched closer and closer to them, the face became visible. Gaunt and pale, the skin was stretched tight across the cheeks and forehead, giving way to a gaping mouth that was opened far wider than any normal human mouth should have been capable of. Within the mouth were long, white fangs that protruded from the spot where Lucy’s canines should have been. 

“Incredible,” Chakotay said, gripping harder onto his stake and readying himself for an attack. He looked over at Janeway, expecting her to fire her crossbow instantly, and was surprised to find that his Captain was just watching the events unfold before them. 

“Captain?”

Kathryn gave him a look as if to say ‘ _ be quiet- just watch _ ’. 

Holmwood, being the closest to Lucy, stood very still. He was waiting to see what she would do, but his hands were shaking as well. The man fumbled, dropping his stake to the floor. The sound it made distracted the monstrous vampire for a moment and her head snapped at breakneck speed to look at the fallen weapon.

“Holmwood, is there blood at her mouth?” Van Helsing asked, his voice filling the room with such utter presence that anyone would have thought he was an army general.

Quincey and Seward lunged for their friend to pull him back and away from the monster that was inhabiting Lucy’s body, but he pulled free of them and in turn lunged toward Lucy. Everything was happening so quickly, and now Van Helsing was getting annoyed.

“Holmwood- is there blood!?”

“No-- o-only-- t-t-teeth,” he stammered, as Lucy grabbed him by the lapels and tried to shove him against the wall. Luckily, Arthur Holmwood was a nimble young man and managed to slip through her grasp and up towards the mausoleum steps. 

“Better you stay out there! She’s hungry. Seems she hasn’t fed yet, which is good for us. She’ll not be at full strength until her first feed,” Van Helsing explained.

“Of blood, I suppose?” Doctor Seward asked as he backed away from Lucy who was now prowling toward him like a predator circling its prey.

Van Helsing merely grunted in reply.

Seward and Quincey nodded at one another and then ran at Lucy, attempting to grab one of her arms each. The woman howled with frustration, squirming in their grasp. Even without her full strength, she seemed to be stronger than both of the men put together. A scuffle ensued, and the three of them ended up tangled in limbs, smacking against the wall and the marble slab where the coffin lay. The coffin shot off of the slab, hitting Van Helsing square in the jaw and sending him flying across the room, where he landed in a heap with the coffin atop him.

“Shit!” Yelled Chakotay, and he rushed forth to join the fray just as Seward’s head was knocked hard against the corner of the marble slab. 

The young doctor fell to the floor with a crash, tripping over Quincey who rolled closer to the entrance of the crypt. Chakotay grappled with the vampire, taking his first shot at staking her. Lucy twisted his arm, her thin, bony fingers circling around his wrist like he was a child and flinging him away. Before he could blink, Lucy was on top of Seward on the floor, straddling him. Chakotay watched as her blonde head lowered towards Seward’s neck, mouth wide, hungry, and ready for blood.

Meanwhile, Janeway had run over to assist Van Helsing and was trying to get him out from under the coffin. He was flailing, but when she got there it was clear he would be able to manage on his own.

“No- leave me, just go and stake the girl! GO!”

“Okay,” Janeway agreed, rushing back over to the other side and cocking the crossbow.

The girl was on top of the doctor, clearly having a grand old time feeding on him while Quincey was being held at arm’s length. Lucy’s left hand was held fast around Quincey’s neck as she gorged on Seward messily, blood spilling from her mouth and onto the floor. Glistening rubies dripped and pooled, creating rivulets that met at the base of the marble slab. Janeway forced herself to look away from the blood and back at the girl, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to get a clean shot at Lucy while she was at that level, as Seward and Quincey were both in the way. 

“Chakotay!” She called out urgently, catching his eye and nodding him towards Lucy.

At this point, Chakotay rose from where he had been shoved backward, throwing his arms around Lucy from behind to pull her away from the young doctor. But she was stronger now, and she rose up from Seward’s limp body on the floor, feeling fresh, new blood coursing through her as it also dripped from her chin and stained the front of her dress. A rush of colour had returned to Lucy’s undead cheeks, her eyes widening as they sensed just how nourished she truly was. Lucy raked her hands into claws and jumped at Chakotay, rising through the air as if she were a harpy with wings. The commander stumbled backwards again, tripping over Seward's legs and falling on his backside next to the doctor. At the peak of Lucy's arc in the air, just as she was about to descend upon Chakotay with her talons, there was a sharp snapping noise and the beautiful, brutal monster was thrown across the crypt. Chakotay stared at the heap on the floor, then turned to look at Janeway.

“You’re welcome,” Kathryn smirked, eyeing Chakotay’s horror-stricken face. She held up the crossbow and blew on it as if it were a pistol she had just fired. “Saved your life.”

“You know the safety protocols are on,” he whispered incredulously, low enough that the others wouldn’t hear. “She couldn’t actually hurt me.”

“I know. That didn’t stop you from looking scared, though,” the Captain laughed at the first officer, offering her hand to help him up from the floor where he had fallen. He took her hand and she pulled him up, feeling him pull her in extremely close. Kathryn was about to reach up on her tiptoes to kiss him, when she heard the sounds of their fallen comrades rising from the floor.

Van Helsing had shoved the coffin to one side and was now helping Quincey up so they could check on Doctor Seward. The older man put his fingers to Seward’s throat to confirm there was still a pulse.

“He will be fine. She did not have long enough to drain him dry. Now, help me get her off the floor. Let us make sure this is finished properly. Any takers to perform the beheading? No? I shall do it, then.”

Quincey, Chakotay, and Van Helsing retrieved Lucy’s body from the mausoleum floor and lifted her back into the coffin where Van Helsing was able to pull out the wooden arrow that had pierced her heart. Quincey turned away as Van Helsing then brought his blade down upon Lucy’s neck, but Chakotay and Kathryn watched with morbid fascination. When the head was completely severed, Van Helsing plucked a posy of wild garlic flowers from a pouch on his belt and pushed the blooms into Lucy’s mouth. As a final measure, he picked up Chakotay’s dropped stake from the floor and hammered it home through the girl’s already punctured rib cage. Her body shuddered with the force of it, and the crack of her sternum rang through the mausoleum with deafening clarity. There was not a chance in hell she was rising from the dead again now.

With a look of distaste, Chakotay turned away from the coffin to see if Doctor Seward would wake up. He shook the young man and, after a few moments, he did rouse. Janeway helped Seward to the wall where he could be propped up until he was ready to stand again, while Chakotay helped Quincey and Van Helsing lift the coffin- now sealed once more- back onto the marble slab. If it hadn’t been such a gruesome fight, one could have wondered if anything had happened in there at all.

“We must see if Arthur is alright,” muttered Seward, and they knew it was time to leave. 

Once they’d cleaned up the debris, returned all the weapons to Van Helsing, and shut the door of the crypt once more, the band of vampire hunters parted ways on the proviso that they meet again the next day to discuss how to further their battle against Dracula himself. Poor Holmwood was distraught, but he and Quincey decided to help Seward get home and eat something to replenish his strength. Van Helsing and the Starfleet officers hung back for a moment, watching the three younger men walk away. 

“I am not sure if they have what it takes,” muttered the hunter.

“Oh, they do,” Kathryn replied, smiling at Van Helsing and putting a hand on his shoulder. “Trust me, I’ve known them for many years. It will all be okay in the end.”

“Hm. I hope so. Where will you go now? Would you care to share a carriage?”

“You go on without us,” Chakotay answered. “We can walk from here.”

Van Helsing nodded, and without a moment’s hesitation he disappeared into the night, which was now mysteriously clear of the fog that had saturated the ground only minutes before. As the hunter vanished from view, Janeway and Chakotay were finally left alone to make their way out of the graveyard.

“Well, was that enough horror for you?” Kathryn asked Chakotay with a wry smile.

“I should think so. I still can’t believe you waited until the very last second to use that damned crossbow.”

“Good thing I’m an excellent shot, huh?”

“You’re lucky you are, or I’d have been very disappointed.”

“And I couldn’t disappoint my first officer now, could I?”

“No, I think that would set a very poor example, Kathryn,” he teased back, then grabbed her arm and pointed to something behind her. “Look- what’s that!?”

As Captain Janeway turned around, she felt Chakotay’s arms wrap around her waist and he lifted her clean off the ground. She knew in an instant that she’d been tricked; there was nothing behind her in the darkness of the graveyard. Nothing at all. She laughed, smacking at his arms, but it was no use- he was much stronger than her.

“Got you,” he said, carrying her over to the wall and sitting her on it. They laughed some more, and Chakotay reached up to move a stray strand of hair from Kathryn’s face, tucking it gently behind her ear. He leaned in close, looking right into her eyes with his heart still pounding from the adventure they’d just been on. 

“What happens on the holodeck…” Kathryn whispered.

“Stays on the holodeck.” 

“And what’s going to happen tonight?”

“Whatever you want to happen,” came Chakotay’s fervent reply as he pressed his lips against hers. “You’re in charge, Captain.”

They kissed under the starlit sky, Chakotay’s hand against Kathryn’s neck with his thumb against her jaw. She found herself reaching for his uniform, undoing the top layer as slowly as she could. If this was all the time they had to be themselves, she wanted it to last. She wanted it to go slow so she could remember every minute, every second. Kathryn shuffled forward on the wall so she could wrap her legs around his waist, drawing him in closer and deepening their kiss. 

“You know if we do this once, we can’t undo it, Kathryn…”

“I know. I won’t want to undo it.”

Chakotay ran his hand down her legs to find the hem of her full, Victorian skirts, and as he hitched them up, he felt Kathryn’s dainty hand in his hair, gripping tightly. He moaned at her touch, which sent a shiver down her spine. There was nothing- absolutely _nothing_ \- that this man would not do for her. And they both knew it.

Rank and status forgotten in the heat of the moment, the pair of them took great pleasure in one another that night. Something changed between them that was irreversible. It wasn’t just the physical connection between them as they made love on the wall of the graveyard, but a deeper, spiritual link between their bodies and souls that would never be able to come unravelled. Despite their vow of professionalism and ‘ _only on the holodeck_ ’, it was only a matter of time before whatever this was that was blossoming between them was too much to bear in secret. And neither of them were prepared for that just yet.


	4. The Light of All Lights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry Kim begins to suspect something on the bridge. Meanwhile, Janeway and Chakotay's holonovel progresses and the hunt for Dracula takes a frightening turn.

A few days after Janeway and Chakotay’s vampire hunting adventure on the holodeck, there was undoubtedly something amiss on the bridge. Harry Kim watched the Captain from where he stood at his post. The young ensign knew Janeway well enough by now to know when something was off. He couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was, but there was something rigid about the way she sat there, staring directly ahead. It was like she was avoiding something, but Kim couldn’t tell what.

Looking over at Tuvok, Kim tried to gauge what his Vulcan colleague was thinking, or if he’d even noticed the change in their captain at all. But as always, Tuvok remained stoic, professional, and impossible to read. Harry looked on, absorbing the situation as Captain Janeway spoke with the captain of a nearby vessel to ensure both ships could pass by each other without incident. The alien on screen did not seem to want to be friends, but they did not want to be enemies either. 

When the conversation was done and the view screen turned off, Janeway turned to Chakotay and nodded at him with a completely straight face. There was none of her usual camaraderie with the first officer, none of her usual banter. If it were just a one off, Kim might have put it down to the captain having a bad day, but he had noticed this change in her for a while now. Perhaps a week, maybe longer. It was unfortunate, he thought, that it was absolutely not his place to say anything. He made a mental note to talk to Tom and B’Elanna about it later- Kim was sure that they would have noticed something and even if they hadn’t noticed, they would not be too afraid to say anything to Janeway if they needed to intervene.

*****

Kathryn, back in her Victorian gown once again, looked around the board room in Doctor Seward’s asylum. This was, apparently, the place to be for a rag-tag team of amateur vampire hunters. After what they’d witnessed and taken part in at Lucy’s mausoleum, the crew had assembled at the asylum in order to plan their next moves. Van Helsing had been explaining to the group the full extent of his knowledge on vampires and other blood-sucking fiends. It had been a long discussion and the majority of them were fraught with worry, but there was a sense of determination in the air that Kathryn really admired in her hologram companions. She and Chakotay shared none of the worry, but a great deal of anticipation and excitement for the journey to come- the joys of taking part in holonovels that are perfectly safe.

Playing their parts, Kathryn and Chakotay produced newspaper clippings and other documents they had found which detailed the sightings, incidents, and attacks that could be connected with Dracula himself. They worked together to organise them into some kind of chronological order, then used a large map of London to corroborate locations. After some time, they found they had discovered a pattern in Dracula’s movements which would undoubtedly lead them to his dwelling. Proud of their work, the six of them shared in generously poured glasses of port as they plotted their next move.

“Well, I, for one, am proud to count myself among such a heroic lot,” Quincey Morris exclaimed in his drawling Texas accent, rising from his chair after Van Helsing’s talk on vampires. “He will pay for what he did to Lucy- and all these other people who have been hurt. Isn’t that right?”

“Indeed,” agreed Holmwood, also standing. “I daresay, one of us alone would not succeed, but with all of us working together… I believe we stand a chance. And we must succeed. For Lucy.”

“Well said, friends. I could not imagine a more well-met fellowship to carry out such a mission. We shall succeed. For Lucy, and for all those who suffered at the hands of this blood-sucking fiend,” Doctor Seward enthused. His voice sounded hopeful- even sure of their success- but his eyes told a different story. He was still recovering from the blood he lost to Lucy, and the sense of weariness had followed him steadily for the past few days. His work had slowed, which he felt bad about, but Renfield seemed to understand. 

Renfield was one of Seward’s patients, one whom he spent an awful lot of time with. The young doctor was conducting a behavioural study on Renfield to try to understand the effects of the man’s psychosis, which seemed to have consumed every bit of Renfield’s psyche. If Seward could understand this better, he thought he might be able to develop a treatment for it. It was the doctor’s own way of trying to help, of trying to make the world a better place. He cared a great deal for Renfield, and sincerely hoped that he would be able to help his patient. He made a mental note to pay extra mind to him the next time they spoke.

That night, after their discussions and declarations of perseverance, the comrades embarked on a patrol of London, as they would for many more nights to come on their search for Dracula’s hideaway. They had narrowed down their search to a small area around Piccadilly, where they would split into two groups of three and walk in opposite directions in a wide circle so they would meet back up at the other side of their search area. Each time they met up, they would head back the other way in a slightly smaller circle, tightening the area they were patrolling. So far nothing had come of it, except ruling out a few streets where nothing dangerous or untoward could possibly occur without being glaringly obvious to passersby or late night establishments.

It was while walking by one of these establishments, a pub with a large, vibrant, and loud crowd of patrons, that Janeway became separated from her group. At first, she thought it was a mistake of her own doing, that she hadn’t been paying enough attention, or that she’d been too focused on what was going on through the pub window. But then it dawned on her that something was about to happen- something imperative to the plot of the novel she had asked the holodeck to program for her. Kathryn had forgotten parts of the holonovel adaptation over the years, and could have kicked herself for forgetting to alter it to suit her evening escapes with Chakotay. 

The Captain managed to push past the thronging crowd of people who had begun to spill onto the pavement, and when she was finally past them she could see the rest of the street beyond. It was impossible to see which way Chakotay and Holmwood- her team for that evening’s patrol- would have gone. Kathryn’s brow furrowed. In a moment of panic, which only happened within her mind and could not be seen on her face at all, she decided the best course of action would be to head to their rendezvous point via the most direct route, even if that meant cutting through the city and arriving there before anyone else. Part of her knew it wouldn’t make a difference anyway. 

And she was right, of course.

No sooner had she paced around a corner and onto a different, quieter street, than the path had been blocked some ten feet away by a shadowy figure. At first, Kathryn was not sure there was anyone really there, but then the figure moved towards her. The tall, dark silhouette glided, almost delicately, in her direction, as if drawn to her by an invisible line that connected them. It was chilling to see, and Kathryn turned on her heel to return to the street where the busy pub had been with the hope that witnesses would prevent any sort of attack.

But as soon as she had turned, there the figure now stood. Right in front of her again, closer this time. And the change in perspective had thrown a little more light on the figure, revealing half of a pale, chiseled face with neat, dark hair and eyes made of nighttime. 

Kathryn gasped, a hand moving to cover her mouth. She was caught off guard, but not genuinely surprised. It felt like a jump-scare to her, something that she wasn’t entirely used to. Composing herself, Janeway stood as tall and straight as she could, making herself look unafraid and quite unbothered. There was a small smirk dancing across her features, as if she was even excited for the exchange that was about to happen.

“I suppose I know what you’re here for,” the Captain taunted, a little cocky.

“My dear, I don’t think anyone really knows what any of us are here for. Why should you be any different?” Dracula’s voice was low and soft, not threatening at all but velvety and rich and inviting. In another life, he could have been a storyteller, and Kathryn would have listened to him for hours.

“I’ve heard the stories. I just know how this one ends.”

“Surely, Mina, the very knowledge of that will alter the ending.  _ Our _ ending. Precisely your knowledge will have untold effects on everything you do. On every outcome you could imagine. In every outcome I see… You are mine.”

“It doesn’t work like that in my head,” Kathryn retorted, already a little bored with how much the Count seemed to enjoy the sound of his own voice. “ What did you come here for, then? Let’s just get this over with, shall we?”

“Straight to the action. I like you more and more.”

Dracula stepped closer, allowing more of himself to be bathed in the glow of the moon. He was tall and handsome, in a haunting sort of way. No colour to him at all, except for a slight tinge of pinky-red to his cheeks that told Kathryn he had recently fed. Razors for cheekbones, a strong jaw, and a muscular neck- not things that the Captain would have labelled as evil, but definitely intimidating. Dracula did not wear a black cape or have a prominent widow’s peak, but he wore the elegant clothing of a wealthy man and had neat, black hair that was trimmed and styled. The way he stood in the moonlight, daring her to look at him, was so typical of villains who longed deeply to be loved passionately and without caution.

_ A walking horror cliche _ , Janeway noted.  _ I love it _ .

“You are not afraid of me?”

Janeway shook her head.

Dracula stepped closer again.

“Stop the games,” Kathryn whispered. “Do it.”

“As you wish, my love,” the Count whispered back, closing the last gap between them with one stride. With a strong hand at her waist and one at the side of her neck, Dracula pushed her gently but firmly against the wall. He breathed in her scent, relished in the sound of her pulsing blood, and brought his mouth to her ear. 

“I’ve been imagining this ever since your dear Jonathan described you to me.”

Shuddering at the proximity of his whisper to her ear, Janeway scrambled to recall the beginning of the book. They had skipped the first part to get straight into the active scenes of the holonovel, but she could still vaguely recall the story from when she’d read the book years before. Jonathan Harker had visited Dracula in his castle for legal purposes and they had talked at length about their lives. After an incident involving drinking Harker’s blood and Dracula’s brides, the Count had run off with his caskets of dirt and poor Harker had been left to try and escape, which he did. Mina had met Harker in Budapest, where they had been married, and the pair of them returned to England to reunite with their friends. That was where they had learned of Lucy’s ailment, and subsequently, her death. 

Suddenly sickened by Dracula's closeness, Kathryn's thoughts went immediately to Chakotay. If anyone was going to whisper sweet nothings in her ear that night it was going to be him. The man she loved. She blanched at that thought- something she hadn't quite accepted just yet, and realised how much she wanted him in her life. No, it wasn't a want- it was a need. She loved him and needed him. Why had it taken her being accosted by Dracula himself for her to come to terms with that? The Captain gave a little laugh, confused and entertained at the same time. Now she couldn't wait to get back to Chakotay and just finish up this chapter of the holonovel so she could wrap herself up in him for a while before they had to leave the holodeck.

Staring Dracula in the eyes, Kathryn pondered for a moment, and then--

“I doubt he described this!” Janeway quipped, pulling her head to the side so she could spring it back and headbutt the count. The Captain watched in amusement as he gasped at the sudden fight in her, and did her best to wriggle free from his grasp. It was ultimately futile, though, and Kathryn soon realised she was fighting against odds that were stacked heavily against her. 

The Count tightened his grip on Janeway’s waist and his other hand moved up into her hair, gripping it fiercely. His lips curled back into a snarl and his teeth were bared. Those long, sharp fangs began to protrude from his gums, ready to take what he thought was his.

“Mina, you hurt me so. Will you not embrace me as your destiny?”

“Not in a million years.”

“How about a million and one?”

And with that, Dracula wrenched Kathryn’s head to the side, exposing her neck to the moon. The stars twinkled down at them, watching their every move. He lowered his mouth to her neck, as she had seen Lucy do to Seward before, but he didn’t bite her, no. The Count kissed her, so softly she shivered. Feeling her tense up, Dracula ran his pointed tongue across her throat and wrapped his arm around her tiny waist. Cold lips pressed kisses to warm skin, trailing up and down until he was sure he found the perfect spot where her veins pulsed steadily below the surface. 

Captain Janeway hadn’t been scared at all. The holodeck safety protocols were on- she couldn’t be harmed. So why did it hurt when Dracula sank his teeth into her? Why did she feel the sharp points of his fangs piercing her flesh like she was an overripe peach? Why could she feel her blood being siphoned from her veins, precious as oil in the desert? A gasp of genuine terror escaped her lips, but before it could turn into a cry for help, the Count’s hand had covered her mouth and stifled whatever sound was fighting to come out of her. All she could think of was Chakotay wandering around without her- where was he!?

In silence and in terror, Captain Janeway stood immobilised by a monster of her own creation. If her life force was a currency, she would soon be very deep in debt. For the first time in a long time, Kathryn had no idea what she was supposed to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun duuuuun. This was very fun to write. I've always loved the way vampires can be so seductive and yet so dangerous too- a very fine line they dance on. Hopefully I got that across in my writing. Hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think~


	5. I Am Longing To Be With You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After finding Janeway and Dracula, Chakotay confesses to something he shouldn't have done. This could be the end of their holodeck adventure if Kathryn can't forgive him...

It had taken Chakotay a few minutes to realise that Kathryn wasn’t behind him, but as soon as he did the sense of bewilderment hit him hard. He could have sworn she was right there, but when he reached out to take her hand, she was nowhere to be seen. 

“Arthur, stop,” Chakotay said to the remaining member of his group, touching the man on his forearm to grab his attention quicker. “Kath-- Mina. She’s gone. Where is she? Where did she go?”

“I can’t see her. Shall we retrace our steps?”

It wasn’t like Kathryn to wander off without saying anything, and Chakotay wasn’t aware of anything in the holoprogram that would indicate her need to separate from their team of three. He wasn’t particularly concerned about her yet, but he was here to spend time with her in any case, so being apart from her wasn’t something he wanted. The first officer nodded at Holmwood and the pair of them wandered back through London’s dimly lit streets. 

The crowds of people were filtering out and away from the pubs now, lights were dimming and noise was fading. There were still a few lingering around near the pub they had passed earlier that evening, and Chakotay approached them cautiously. Perhaps Kathryn had simply spoken to someone here in order to get more information and then been unable to catch up for whatever reason. Maybe she was still inside having a drink.

“Excuse me, I’m looking for a woman. Approximately this tall-” Chakotay indicated with his hand. “-light brown hair, in a blue dress.”

“Ain’t been payin’ attention, sir, sorry. There’s lots of ‘em round ‘ere, though. Ladies of the night aren’t exactly a rarity these days,” replied a middle aged man with a beer gut and an untucked shirt. He seemed friendly enough, but definitely not the sort that Kathryn would have wanted to speak to at all. 

“She’s not a lady of the night- she’s a respectable young woman!” Holmwood replied. “And she happens to be my friend’s wife.”

Chakotay had forgotten that detail from the holonovel, and almost chuckled when he heard the word from his friend’s mouth. 

“Sorry, sirs, I can’t recall. ‘Ere, Billy, ‘ave you seen a young woman out ‘ere? Blue dress, petite little lady,” the man described to one of his nearby companions. The companion turned around and nodded, although he appeared to be even more drunk than the first. 

“Aye, seen one not long ago. Pretty, she was. Took that turnin’ up ahead on the right.” 

“Thank you,” replied Chakotay with a smile and then motioned for Holmwood to follow him. The two men set off in the direction the drunk had pointed to, which was towards a turning onto a narrow, dark street.

“Are you not worried, Harker?” Holmwood asked after noticing Chakotay’s smile.

“Not particularly. My, uh…”

He couldn’t bring himself to say the word ‘wife’, even if it was just make-believe in a holonovel. Saying it out loud would remind him of his innermost thoughts and feelings that he had locked away in the name of Starfleet protocol. If Chakotay let it out, even on the holodeck, he felt he wouldn’t be able to take it back. He knew he held those desires deep within him, but he had never addressed them with his waking, conscious thoughts, and never would unless Kathryn said so. And that was what all this hinged on; Kathryn’s say so. Chakotay wouldn’t cross any lines unless she invited him to. He doubted she ever would.

“Well, she can take care of herself. She’s incredibly tough. You’ve seen her with a crossbow, haven’t you?”

“I suppose you’re right,” Holmwood nodded, although it was clear he was far more concerned than Chakotay was- a product of his time. Men of the Victorian age often thought of women as helpless damsels in distress. 

As the two men rounded the corner into the dark side street, they realised they had, indeed, found the right place. They realised this because there, right in front of them, barely even hidden from view despite the shadows, was a figure dressed all in black, elegant clothing, cradling the head and neck of Captain Janeway as it gorged on her blood.

Dracula lifted his head, chin stained crimson, and bared his teeth in the most chilling of grins. 

Chakotay blinked in surprise, taken completely and utterly aback by what he was seeing. It was then that an overwhelming sense of guilt washed over him, splintering like glass in his chest. The commander yelled at the figure, at Dracula, and surged forward, ready for a fist fight, but the next time he blinked, the figure was gone. It was as if Dracula had never been there- he simply vanished, leaving Janeway to stumble backwards into the wall behind her, pale, disorientated, and in absolute shock.

“Kathryn!” Chakotay called out, rushing towards his Captain with genuine fear in his eyes. He could feel his heart thumping in his chest, and a sort of ringing sound in his ears that drowned out anything else around him. Chakotay wanted to say a million things, but all he did was reach out and wrap his arms around Kathryn, stopping her from slumping to the floor. He found himself muttering repeatedly: “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Finding her feet a little easier now that Chakotay had caught her, Captain Janeway tried to shake off the dizziness. She leaned into him with one hand on his shoulder and the other rubbing her own forehead. Each time she took a deep breath she felt sick, and the world was spinning, and her neck hurt, and there were pinpricks of light in her eyes, and under all that she could sense his heartbeat, and smell him, and feel how warm he was, and she knew, also, that she should be very, very angry with him. 

After a few moments, Kathryn, closed her eyes and pushed gently back against Chakotay’s chest, putting a slight bit of distance between them so she could collect her thoughts. She held up a finger to stop him talking, for she could barely hear or comprehend anything in that moment anyway. 

“Computer, freeze program,” she said, noticing how the sudden stillness of everything calmed the queasiness in her stomach. Holmwood remained frozen in position, staring at them. 

“Kathryn, are you alright? How long... How much blood-- do you need to go to sickbay?”

“Chakotay. Did you switch off the safety protocols?”

The first officer’s guilt was bubbling in his stomach. His fists clenched and he looked at the ground, trying to figure out what to say. When his gaze returned to her face, he did not see his Captain, his brave, strong, warrior. She was markedly different. Her eyes…

“Chakotay!”

“Yes,” he whispered. “I… I wanted the thrill of the fight. I thought tonight would be the night we found him. And I thought there would be a fight, like with Lucy. I wanted that exhilaration. The adrenaline. With you.”

“Well, he found me instead. You should have discussed that with me. I am… I don’t even have to tell you how dangerous that decision was. An adrenaline rush is one thing, but this…” Kathryn motioned to her neck, which was glistening with real, wet blood that had soaked the neckline of her dress. Her stomach heaved as if it were about to float out of her body and she doubled over, retching for a moment to no avail- nothing came up. This was not a moment befitting a Starfleet Captain. Lightheaded, nauseous, and now suddenly overcome with a cold, bitter anger, born of humiliation, Kathryn was unbelievably glad that none of her crew could see her like this.

“Let me take you to sickbay.” 

“I’ll take myself,” she snapped at him, standing up straight to try and walk herself away. “Computer, end program.”

The holodeck’s real walls fizzled into view as the holonovel melted away, and Kathryn shrugged off Chakotay’s hand. As she headed for the doors, she had to acknowledge just how dizzy she was. There was no way of knowing how much blood she had lost until she made it to sick bay, and if she was being honest with herself, she wasn’t sure if she could even walk that far just yet. Her pride forced her to carry on walking, though, and in a few moments she was out in the corridor, pressing a hand to a bulkhead for support.

Chakotay, of course, was right behind her, and this time when he wrapped his arm around her waist to help her, Kathryn didn’t push him away. Relieved, the commander shook his head and tightened his grip on her as they made their way toward the turbo lift some way down the corridor. They walked in silence, but Chakotay didn’t mind that for the moment. He was still processing everything that had just happened, and his guilty conscience was weighing heavily on his mind.

Kathryn allowed herself to lean on him, her thoughts still a little confused, and her feelings even moreso. She pushed the feelings down; they were no longer Kathryn and Chakotay in their holonovel. They were a Captain and her first officer, and they were just heading to sickbay after some interesting training on the holodeck. That was all. Kathryn kept reminding herself of that as a couple of ensigns wandered past, ogling at the state of her. Their eyes quickly snapped to look in the opposite direction when they realised it was the Captain, but Janeway had already seen them looking. 

Unwilling to let her stumble through the ship like this out of spite for his own actions, Chakotay sighed and pressed his comm badge. When the EMH answered, Chakotay asked for them both to be beamed directly to sickbay. In a few short moments, they were there and The Doctor was scanning Kathryn with a tricorder.

The Doctor was certainly not impressed when Chakotay explained what had happened. He raised his eyebrows at the commander while scanning Janeway again. The EMH had a way of making his opinions known very clearly, and he didn’t hold back.

“I must state that this was a highly inappropriate use of the holodeck, Commander Chakotay. Just think what could have happened if you hadn’t walked around that corner when you did. You can’t leave everything to chance and sheer dumb luck, you know.”

“I know. I know that,” Chakotay conceded, not arguing back. 

“Look, Doctor, I know you’re busy. Just tell me I’ll be alright and I’ll be on my way. It won’t happen again,” Janeway ordered. “Will it, Commander?”

“Captain, you  _ will _ be alright,” interrupted The Doctor before Chakotay could speak. “It seems as if you lost around four hundred milliliters, which is not too much to worry about. I recommend resting for the next few hours- and eating something to level your blood sugar.” 

“Very well. Thank you, Doctor,” said Kathryn quietly, in her stern voice that meant she had most definitely had enough. She got down from the sickbay bed, already feeling the wooziness dissipating from her head. Her stomach was settling too, and she could definitely walk by herself now. Letting out a sigh, she started heading out of sickbay.

“Let me take you to your quarters, Captain,” Chakotay offered, with a hint of pleading in his voice. He wanted her forgiveness for his reckless behaviour, he wanted to know that he hadn’t ruined what they had between them, or ruined whatever fun they were having with their holodeck program.

“Alright. You can make me some food to make up for it.”

“That sounds… reasonable.” 

It sounded more than reasonable to Chakotay, and he began to worry there was something else she was going to say to him when they were alone together. But when they were out of their holodeck garments in her quarters and she had eaten some fruit as per The Doctor’s orders, Kathryn did not seem angry any more. In fact, she just seemed relieved and almost like her usual self, albeit a little more tired and pale than normal. Chakotay watched her face while he brought over more food and put it down in front of her. 

“Thank you, Chakotay.”

“I really am sorry, Kathryn. I don’t want to keep repeating myself, but I just… I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“I do. You were thinking of that moment in Lucy’s mausoleum when she was about to leap at you, and you felt fear for a split second. And then you remembered the safety protocols, and that she couldn’t hurt you, and you wanted to replicate that feeling but for real.”

“You understand, then?”

“I understand.”

“And you’re not angry?”

“Not any more.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Like I’ve been bitten by a vampire.”

“Can I do anything else for you?”

Captain Janeway thought for a moment, looking at her first officer with an intense gaze that seemed to penetrate deep into his soul. A million things cascaded through her mind, a thousand ways he could make her happy, a thousand things he could do for her that would make her smile. All totally inappropriate, given their situation, but all unbelievably tantalising. In another world, she wouldn’t have to keep boundaries between them. In another world they were free to be who they were. In another world they could reach their full potential with one another, and maybe they were happy and didn’t have to hide. 

_ But why should the other me in that other world get to have all the fun?  _

“Just sit with me a while.” 

Kathryn smiled at Chakotay, holding out her hand. When he took hold of it, she pulled him in closer so they were sitting side by side. Tired and drained, she allowed herself to indulge in this rare moment of comfort by resting her head against his chest. To hear his heart beating was a beautiful thing, and to feel his warmth radiating out against her skin was somewhat nourishing for her soul. 

There was a moment as the Captain made herself comfortable, that Chakotay couldn’t help but smile to himself. There was something so small about her like this, something that made him want to protect her with every fibre of his being. As she rested her head on his chest, he draped his arm around her, squeezing her in tight, and kissed the top of her head. There was an unspoken permission in her actions; she was allowing them both this moment of closeness in her quarters- just this once. Nothing more. 

They sat in silence, with Chakotay gently stroking Kathryn’s hair. She felt peaceful for the first time in a long time. It didn’t take long for her to fall asleep. Chakotay felt her body grow heavier against his, felt her breathing slow down and become steadier. He waited a few minutes and then scooped her up as if she were light as a feather, carrying her over to her bed. The last time Chakotay had tucked someone into bed, it had been during that first night on the holodeck together when they had both tucked little Beatrice in. He mused at how different the moments were, how differently he cared about it this time. Pressing a final kiss to her forehead, Chakotay prepared to leave but as he moved away, Kathryn’s arm darted out to take his hand.

“No, stay,” whispered Janeway, mostly asleep.

“You know I can’t. I shouldn’t.”

“Can’t and shouldn’t are two very different things.”

“I shouldn’t.”

“I know. But do it anyway.”

“Go to sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Captain.”

The Captain grumbled and rolled over, pulling the covers up to her chin and watching as Chakotay left her room. She knew he was being sensible, that his decision was the right one, but as she hovered in that dreamy state between waking and sleeping, Kathryn imagined the ‘them’ in the other world. She kissed him over and over again in her mind, imagined a life where they were on Earth again, walking in a park, or eating in a restaurant, or dancing at a party. By the time she had drifted off to sleep once more, there was not a single way Kathryn hadn’t imagined kissing him. The imaginings were over and done in the blink of an eye, and she wouldn’t remember them by the time she woke up in the morning, but they happened, and Kathryn would always know, in the back of her mind, that he should have stayed with her that night. 

_ Maybe next time _ , was her last thought as she fell into a deep slumber and dreamed of men in black clothing with sharp teeth, and young girls in white dresses shot through with a hundred arrows, and six good friends whose hunt was not yet complete.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out a bit longer than the other chapters, oops! Slap me if I waffle too much lol. 
> 
> I've got exciting plans for the rest of this story. What do you think will happen next?


	6. Where We Can Talk Together Freely

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kathryn begins experiencing odd symptoms after her incident on the holodeck, so she and Chakotay consult an expert on what to do about it.

“Janeway to Chakotay.”

“Chakotay here.”

“Meet me in my ready room. Ten minutes.”

“Aye, Captain.”

It had been two weeks since Janeway’s incident with Dracula, and Chakotay had begun to think nothing of it by this point. They had not yet been back on the holodeck together for anything other than a drink at Sandrine’s with some of their friends. He was beginning to wonder if they had lost that spark between them, or if Kathryn had decided it was best if they didn’t give in to temptation any longer. For him, at least, the spark was still very much alight. Chakotay replayed their adventures over and over in his mind, trying to figure out a way to get back to that feeling of exhilaration with her, to hold her in his arms once more. Had he ruined it? He hoped not. 

When he reached the Captain’s ready room, he was expecting her to brief him on some away mission or ship issue. He did not expect to find her hunched over her desk with a fraught expression and red eyes. She looked as if she’d been hit by a truck, or at least missed out on a great deal of sleep and a few meals. 

“Captain, what’s wrong?”

“I need to tell you something, Chakotay,” Kathryn said as she rose from her chair behind the desk, heading over to the sofa on the other side of her ready room. “And I need you not to assume I’m crazy.”

“Of course,” replied her first officer, joining her on the sofa. 

“I’ve been feeling off lately. I just haven’t been myself. I haven’t been sleeping properly; I wake up in the middle of the night from dreams I cannot understand. Sometimes the dreams are happening in front of me, and I’m watching people being killed. Sometimes it’s as if I am the one killing them and I’m viewing the destruction through my own eyes. Sometimes… Sometimes it’s just as if there is someone in the room with me, watching me. Waiting for me. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say I was being haunted. Almost… Almost like a visitation.”

“Who are the people in your dreams? Do you recognise any of them?”

“No, none of them! And that’s why it’s so strange. I’m never on Voyager. I’m always in London, but not-- not London as we know it. Victorian London. Like in our holoprogram.”

“Do you think you might be suffering from post-traumatic stress? What happened to you in there was, I can only imagine, quite a shock. Those things aren’t supposed to happen and it would be totally understandable if it had affected you in some way.”

“I don’t know. I don’t think so. I’m never scared or worried in the dreams. I’m actually sort of happy. It’s only when I wake up that I feel uncomfortable.”

“Do you ever feel anything else? Sorry for all the questions, Captain, I’m just trying to think of reasons it could be happening. I want to help.”

“It’s okay, ask away. I have questions myself. And yes. Sometimes I feel as if-- like I’m-- I’m not sure how to describe it. Like I’m searching for something-- or-- or some _ one _ . And I’m hungry, ravenous always. And when I wake up I need to eat but I feel sick. If I eat anything it makes me feel worse.”

“Do you think any of this could be side effects from what happened with… You know who, on the holodeck? I don’t necessarily mean in some kind of  _ illness _ sense of the term, but maybe psychologically?”

“I mean, it could be psychological. But it could also be some kind of illness. I keep thinking about what happened there, and the things that Van Helsing told us on the night we found Lucy. I keep thinking that something is happening to me now. Do you think it’s possible?”

“Captain, I think we’re on the other side of the galaxy facing multiple unknowns every single day. I believe anything is possible.” 

_ But most of all, I believe in  _ **_you_ ** , thought Chakotay, although he didn’t want to say it out loud. Not yet.

“Well, you’re certainly right there,” Kathryn said with a playful smirk. Thinking back to that night he’d carried her to bed and she begged him to stay, she resisted the urge to reach out for his hand. God, how she wanted to hold his hand. The desire to be close to him was almost unbearable. And he looked good enough to eat. “What do you think I should do?”

“It seems important that we put your mind at ease, above all else. If I were in your position I’d want to ask an expert. And considering we don’t really have one of those on board, I suggest you pay a visit to Van Helsing and see what he has to say on the matter.”

“I was worried you’d say that,” Janeway said quietly, rubbing her forehead. “But I suppose you’re right. Will you join me?”

“What, now?”

“No time like the present. I’m not exactly getting more well-rested any time soon.”

“Alright. If you want me there, I’ll be there. And I’ll leave the safeties on this time,” Chakotay said with a smile. He was worried about her, but he knew whatever was going on could be dealt with. Kathryn was tough- she could make it through anything. She’d demonstrated that fact more than enough times already, and Chakotay had never had so much faith in another living soul before. It was obvious how much he admired her, and also how high a pedestal he’d placed her on. “Whatever you need from me. I’m here.”

“Thank you, Chakotay. I appreciate that. Let’s go.” 

*****

Van Helsing took one look at the woman he knew as Mina and immediately sighed, muttering curses in German under his breath. The redhead folded his arms, appraising the situation, and began to pace up and down the boardroom at Seward’s asylum. The hunter had an idea about what was happening, but was unsure of how to proceed right away. Their team was not all present at that moment, and Seward was busy trying to calm his patient, Renfield. He had no idea where Arthur Holmwood and Quincey Morris were, but hopefully they would arrive soon so that if they needed to head out into the city again they could do so as a team. There was safety in numbers, after all. For now, Van Helsing needed to try and get to the bottom of what was ailing Mina.

“What can you remember about the moment he bit you?”

“I was shocked,” Janeway replied, trying to think of a way to put it that wouldn’t hinder their position in this make believe world she had created. “It all happened so quickly. It seemed like he was trying to…  _ toy _ with me. In a sense.”

“Like a seduction?” Van Helsing asked, completely unphased by the idea.

“Yes, I suppose you could call it that,” she whispered, her eyes shiftily looking over to Chakotay to see what his face was doing. If he was bothered by that, he gave nothing away.

“I need you to answer me one more question, and I need your honesty, Mina. At any point during this encounter, did Dracula force you to drink his blood? Or rather, could he have put any of his blood into your mouth?”

Out of the corner of her eye, Kathryn could see Chakotay begin to shift on his feet. She thought long and hard back to that night when she had been pinned against a wall in the dark streets of London, the moon high above with its pearly glow and the stones below her feet so hard and unforgiving. Where had her mind been? She had been thinking of Chakotay. And her eyes? She was looking only at the sky. Kathryn tried to pull the edges of her memory downward so she could see more of what was going on, peeling it outwards like a rolled up movie poster. Hands grabbing at her waist, fingers entwined in her hair, and then at her throat, and then when she tried to scream…

“Yes,” she said suddenly. “Yes he had his hand over my mouth. It is possible he could have put blood on his hand. I didn’t even notice-- it all-- it happened so fast.”

Van Helsing nodded. He walked over to the table at the back of the room where his old trunk was placed. Inside were the weapons they had used before, among other things. Reaching his hand into the back of the trunk, Van Helsing pulled out an old, square tin, which was battered and dented. It was about the size of his palm, and looked to be incredibly light by the way he deftly threw it from one hand to the other. He brought it back over to where Janeway and Chakotay were standing, opened the tin, and placed it on the table before them. Kathryn recognised its contents right away; small, round, communion wafers.

“What do you need those for?” Captain Janeway asked, eyeing them suspiciously.

“The blessed communion bread is the body of Christ. I have a theory, but I need to test it, if you don’t mind,” explained Van Helsing, although Kathryn and Chakotay were still at a loss. 

“Do whatever you need to do. As long as we can get to the bottom of this. I just want a peaceful night’s sleep,” sighed Janeway. 

It was clear from the Captain’s expression that she was at the end of her tether and would indeed submit to whatever tests Van Helsing needed to perform. The Captain rubbed her forehead, seemingly trying to smooth out her furrowed brow or relieve some tension somehow. She was reminded, then, of how much of a comfort it had been to have Chakotay close to her before, the last time they’d been in this room. He had put his arms around her and held her tightly, and nothing else seemed to matter. Kathryn knew that he would be doing that now if they hadn’t allowed this cold space to flourish between them since her incident with Dracula. And now it was up to her to close that space, because Chakotay would never cross a boundary she had set herself. She looked at him over her shoulder, with wide eyes and the most commanding stare. That was as much an invitation as she could give him right now, but he picked up on every unspoken word in that glance.

Chakotay breathed in, offered Kathryn a small smile, and stepped closer to her. The coldness of that gap between them was momentarily patched over by his own warmth. Reaching out with his right hand, he took hold of Kathryn’s left hand, squeezing it tight. It wasn’t as close as he’d like to be to her, but it would have to do for now. They had a lot of healing to do, and this fight was far from over, as Chakotay could easily tell from the look on Van Helsing’s face.

“Please hold still, Mina,” whispered Van Helsing. The hunter had plucked a small piece of the sacramental bread from out of the tin and held it up towards the light of the candles nearby. He began to mutter a prayer under his breath, stepping toward Janeway with bold paces. As his prayer, or incantation grew louder, Van Helsing brought the communion wafer down against Janeway’s forehead.

At first, Kathryn did not notice the pain or the sizzle of searing skin, for she was too focused on trying to understand what Van Helsing was saying. But after a few seconds, her nerves finally registered what was happening to her and she let out a small yelp, followed by a gasp, nearly choking on her own breath as she stumbled backwards in shock. One of her hands flew up to her face, touching the centre of her forehead where Van Helsing had touched her with the wafer. 

As Janeway reeled from the burn on her face, Chakotay caught her by the arm so she didn’t stumble too far. He looked at his Captain, taking in the sight of her with that red raw burn on her forehead. He couldn’t believe Van Helsing had been able to mark her in such a way- the safety protocols were definitely on this time! Chakotay looked between them, back and forth, completely lost for words. All he could do was pull Kathryn toward him and cup her face in his hands out of desire to comfort her and take away the pain she was clearly experiencing. Chakotay saw the panic in her eyes turn to steel, as quickly as it always had, whenever he had seen her thinking on her feet like this.

“What did you do to me?” Kathryn asked, taking one of Chakotay’s hands from her face and holding onto it as she turned to face Van Helsing. 

“I blessed you. And held something holy against your skin, which, as you can tell, did not react well. It means you are now unholy. Dracula has infected you.”

“Did you have to do it right in the middle of my forehead!? You couldn’t have used my arm or something?”

“Oh. Oh, uh… I didn’t really think about it. But we can’t exactly let you go milling about with all your friends and family now, anyway. There is a mission ahead of us and we simply cannot lose any more time. As soon as the others get here, we must leave right away.”

“Leave where? Can you just explain this a little more, please?” Chakotay looked like he was ready to fight the man, but was restraining himself very well. 

“Your wife has the blood of Dracula running through her veins. It means she is inflicted by the vampiric curse. When she dies, she is doomed to become a vampire. The dreams you have been having, Mina, are not dreams at all. You have been witnessing Dracula’s own actions through a psychic bond. You are a part of him, as much as he is a part of you.”

“So, what’s the cure?” Janeway asked, letting go of Chakotay’s hand and stepping closer to Van Helsing.

“That is the reason we must leave. There is no known cure, except for the death of Dracula himself. If he dies then the curse will be broken. But we have to find him. Our search of the Piccadilly area was not so fruitful last time, but we are a little closer, I believe. It is crucial now more than ever. I’m sure you will agree, Jonathan.”

The first officer nodded, completely taken aback by the whole scenario. It was baffling to Chakotay how something they had conjured up on the holodeck could have such real and tangible consequences like this. What had happened to allow this transference of a curse between a fictional realm and the real world? 

Just then, Doctor Seward came rushing through the doors to the board room, slamming them wide open with a loud bang and interrupting the trio who had all been deep in thought. The young doctor had a panicked look on his face, his hair tousled, and sweat on his brow. Gasping for air, he tripped over his feet and caught himself on the edge of the large table in the centre of the room. As he came closer, it became clear that he had been streaked with blood in a bold, crimson line across his chest with smaller splatters all about his face and neck. His hands were white at the knuckle where he now gripped onto a chair.

“Renfield-- it was Renfield. The Count, Dracula- he... he was here! He’s killed Renfield!”

“What do you mean, Seward?” Van Helsing asked, taking a bottle of brandy from the shelf and pouring one out for his friend, who clearly needed something to take the edge off.

“He came to Renfield’s room. He… claimed that he had been using Renfield to learn about us-- about our mission, our work. And he… He… He ripped his throat out right in front of me. He knows. He knows everything. Our plans, our knowledge, who our friends are, everything. We can’t win this fight. He’s just… too strong.”

Janeway, Chakotay, and Van Helsing stood staring at Doctor Seward. The hunter stepped forward, about to speak, but Kathryn held up a hand to stop him, and then did the same to Chakotay when he opened his mouth as well. 

“Computer, freeze program,” Janeway commanded, turning to Chakotay. As the panicked young doctor and Van Helsing froze, Kathryn held her hands over her eyes and focused on her breathing. “This is too much. It’s too much all at once, and I’m so tired. I just don’t understand it. There has to be an answer to all this. Chakotay…”

“I know. It is a lot to take in right now. But Kathryn, you are the strongest woman I know. If anyone can get through this, it’s you. I believe in you. And I’m here with you, every step of the way.”

Chakotay could see the Captain’s hands beginning to shake, so he took them in his own and held them tight, drawing her close to him once more. This time, there were no distractions around them as he looked her in the eyes and poured his heart out through their pupils. What he didn’t dare to say out loud was spoken with that look, and Kathryn knew that he loved her in that moment. Bending down slightly, Chakotay pressed his lips to hers in a sweet, gentle kiss. 

There was a strength in that kiss, that flowed from Chakotay to Kathryn, that filled her lungs and veins, that sent a shiver down her spine, that flooded her stomach with a hot, desperate longing. And when they pulled away, Kathryn simply rested the side of her head against his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. He kissed the top of her head, then rested his own cheek against the spot where he had kissed her.

“Thank you, Chakotay.”

“What for?”

“For existing, I guess.”

“You’re welcome. Now, do you want to get on with this… this vampire hunt?”

“Yes. Let’s do it.”


	7. And Build Our Castles In The Air

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hunt begins. Will Kathryn be able to control herself until they have defeated their enemy? Or will she give in to temptation before she and Chakotay can save her life?

With the holonovel now resumed, and all their company present, Janeway and Chakotay stood ready and waiting for their mission to begin. They hadn't left the holodeck for several hours now, and Kathryn could only think of getting back to her crew and making sure that everything was still running smoothly. Not that she didn't trust Tuvok and the rest of her bridge crew- quite the opposite actually, but she wanted to be there for them and be involved in whatever they were up to. Kathryn cared for them all as if they were her family; all she wanted was to help them. But she couldn't do that with vampire blood coursing through her veins, so here she was, about to go and kill the bastard that did this to her.

"Every one of us has something to fight for. Our family. Our friends," Van Helsing looked around the circle of people as he spoke, making a point to nod gently towards Kathryn and then at Chakotay. Van Helsing had no idea who they really were, but in his eyes they were Mina and Jonathan, newlyweds, about to risk everything so that they could have their forever love. To Van Helsing, they were pure and good and deserved saving. "For ourselves. Our country. The world. There is so much at stake here. And we are the ones who will put a stop to this evil that is plaguing our city right now."

Kathryn had to stifle a laugh when he mentioned the city, London. It was odd to think that they were playing out this narrative in London, when actually they were on the holodeck of Voyager, in the middle of the Delta Quadrant, merely surviving, existing. The characters in this story had probably never even thought about space in the way that Janeway and her first officer knew it. And they were just that- characters. She had held them at arms length, to avoid getting attached to them like she had in Lambda One, but even now as they prepared for battle, she felt bad for them. She knew that these men regarded her as their friend Mina, and not as Kathryn. She knew that they would never agree to help if she weren't playing the most important role in their story. Kathryn felt Chakotay squeeze her hand, and she looked up at him to her right. He was smiling at her, and Kathryn's stomach did that little flip. She thanked him with her eyes, then peeled them away from his so she could concentrate on Van Helsing again, who was still talking.

"We are lucky we arrived here in the daytime, for the Count and his brides will not be at their most powerful until the night falls. For now, we should familiarise ourselves with the layout while we can, before we get drawn into a real fight. My friends... Are you all ready?"

Arthur Holmwood nodded, seemingly far more brave than he had been when they had laid Lucy to rest. His bravery seemed to have grown and calcified since Lucy's passing, now stoic and made of rock, immutable and immovable. It was a quiet bravery, but one that was clearly visible in the way his mouth was set in a line and his jaw was strongly clenched. Nothing would phase him, but he would be sensible and not take too many risks in the fight that was ahead.

Doctor Seward and Quincey Morris both nodded as well, although both men seemed brave in very different ways. The doctor was driven forth by his intelligence and logical thinking while Quincey was driven by his bravado and physical strength. They were best friends, but couldn't have been any more different. They caught each other's eye, smiling at their friend. They would share many drinks together after this night was over. They hoped they would, anyway.

"Always ready," Janeway stated, fixing the attachments to her belt and shoulder strap that her crossbow was attached to. The burn on her forehead was still angry and red, but she could barely feel it any more for how engrossed she was in the task ahead. And to her credit, she had refused to get back into one of those enormous dresses this time around. Now Kathryn sported a pair of trousers tucked into leather boots, a white shirt, and a leather waistcoat that would give her the room to move if she needed to fight. 

"Well, then. Onwards," said the redheaded hunter, turning on his heel. Van Helsing led the group up the long, stony driveway that approached the house they had identified as belonging to Dracula. 

The house itself was tall and thin, in the middle of a terrace of townhouses. You couldn't see into the house from outside, owing to thick, velvet blackout curtains. Once the group of six drew nearer to the house, they could see it had been looked after well and improved recently, with ornate railings around the front, and beautiful flowers in front of the windows. The house itself seemed to attract darkness, despite it being day, and the air seemed thicker somehow. There was something ominous about the way the clouds were darker in that part of the sky, like they were full of expectation, ready to burst and rain blood down upon London. It was a beautiful building in the most haunting way possible. Kathryn loved the sight of it.

Inside, they moved together slowly through the house. They covered the entire ground floor first, making sure to get a rough idea of the layout, any doors they should be aware of, and any escape route they may need. Van Helsing was at the head of their formation, nodding them toward each new doorway they had to walk through. After a full sweep of the house, they had figured out where Dracula's brides were sleeping in one large bed all draped across each other, and deduced that the Count himself must be resting in the as yet unexplored cellar, probably in his casket full of Transylvanian dirt.

They quietly crept as quickly as they could, down into the cellar which had been adorned with rich velvets and mahogany and scented with exotic incense and perfumes. There were old portraits on the wall of beautiful people, with unlit candles waiting on the many surfaces. In one corner of the cellar was a sort of shrine or altar, filled with white candles all half melted, silver trays of expensive looking items, and large, jewel encrusted goblets that rested on the altar underneath a humungous painting that depicted Dracula surrounded by his three brides. It was almost beautiful, and Chakotay was staring at it intently as Kathryn came into the cellar behind him.

"Don't get any ideas," she muttered to him ever so quietly, nudging him with her elbow. 

Chakotay smiled at her and kissed her forehead. 

"Don't worry," he whispered back. "I don't intend to leave any time for other women."

They smirked as they wandered deeper into the cellar, to another room beyond the first one with the altar in it. In the centre of this second room was a large casket, far too large for one person. It was shiny and black with silver details, and for some reason Kathryn desperately wanted to touch it. Her head began spinning and her ears filled with a high pitched droning sound. Eyes wide as she seemed to be caught in some kind of trance, the Captain began walking toward the casket, one hand outstretched as if it were the most precious, beautiful thing she had ever seen, as if she might die if she didn't lay her hand on it immediately.

Noticing the odd shift in her behaviour, Chakotay reached out quickly and wrapped his arm around Kathryn's waist to prevent her from approaching the casket. She tried to fight him off, wildly and frantically trying to manoeuvre her way out of his clutches. 

"Let me go!" cried Janeway, dropping her crossbow to the floor with a loud clatter.

Holmwood and the others all helped Chakotay drag her backwards, but as soon as they nearly had her out of the room, there was a deafening clang. The six of them froze, turning around to see what had made the noise. None of them were surprised to see what they did. 

Rising from the casket, which had been flung wide open, was Dracula with his black clothing and neat hair, dark eyes and a crooked smile which was directed at Kathryn herself. The way he moved was otherworldly, as if gravity wasn't something he was familiar with. The Count was suddenly standing before them, his smart black shoes planted firmly on the stone floor of the cellar. Although he had just woken up, there was something incredibly fresh about his eyes. When he smiled, the white of his teeth cast a stark contrast to the deep red drops of blood that stained his chin. It was as if he had been a ravenous baby, gorging himself and then falling asleep without a single care for the mess he had made. Now, however, his tongue darted out and licked away the drop of blood, all the while staring intently at Kathryn.

"My love," he whispered. "I knew you would come to me."

"I'm here," she cried out, reaching for him with her small, white hands while her friends held her back. Janeway felt a mind-numbing desperation to be close to him, to feel his icy hands on her body, to give herself to him completely. There was something so primal about that desire, she couldn't control it. It was controlling her. Once more, she resumed her assault on her friends, smacking them and trying desperately to release their grip on her. "Let me go, please, I beg you!"

Van Helsing stood between them and Dracula. The hunter held up a crucifix, and the Count hissed, recoiling in fear. Seeing his chance, Chakotay lunged forward with a stake in hand to try and pierce the demon's heart. But before he could reach the vampire, he felt a small and incredibly strong hand around his wrist, and then another pair at his ankles, and another at his throat. Dracula's brides had woken amid all the chaos and entered the cellar in a panic. They dragged Chakotay away from their master, pinning the first officer against the wall. The three women toyed with him, running demonic tongues against his skin and whispering in his ears all the horrible things they wanted to do with him while he tried in vain to fight them off.

Meanwhile, Dracula had approached Van Helsing again, who had produced a bottle of holy water and was concealing it behind himself. The Count knocked him deftly to one side and headed straight for the woman whom he so dangerously desired. Kathryn, or Mina as she appeared to him, felt his blood within her set on fire in her veins in the most delectable way, her eyes locked onto his. The Count smiled at her- not that savage, beastly smile he had exhibited before, but a smile that one gives to a lover, someone they have admired for a long time. In that moment, Kathryn could have sworn that time slowed down, and the men- her friends- who were holding her back, seemed as if they were nothing to her. 

The brides let Chakotay slump to the floor and rushed at the three men who were holding Kathryn, taking one each. Within seconds they had released the woman who would become their sister, and Janeway found herself in the arms of Dracula himself, the scent of blood thick in the air as her senses began to change in line with his own. Dracula kissed her, and Chakotay yelled out from the floor, forcing his legs to carry him up and away from the wall, closer to Kathryn, to try and release her from whatever spell she was under. Van Helsing nodded his way and indicated for Chakotay to act from the other direction so that Van Helsing may cause another distraction. 

"Mina," Van Helsing's voice boomed throughout the cellar, rattling the brides, who each looked up from their victims. Dracula barely barely flinched. It was as if he were untouchable. With all the chaos happening around him, he only had eyes for Mina- for Kathryn. And she was sucked right into his hypnotism. "That is not the man you love, Mina."

"How do you know who I do or do not love?" Janeway replied, her eyes turning on Van Helsing as if he had not been her friend throughout all this. 

"You married Jonathan Harker," the hunter pointed at Chakotay across the room. "You did so for a reason."

"No!" Dracula spoke, his voice low but commanding. His arm wrapped around Kathryn's waist, he pulled her toward Van Helsing. "You shall be her first meal, for this insolence. You were always meant to be my nemesis, but I shall allow my new bride to feast upon your soul instead." 

"If it is what Mina wishes, I would gladly lay down my life. But first..." 

Van Helsing lurched forward, flinging the contents of the glass bottle directly at Dracula, whose skin sizzled on contact with the holy water.

Dracula recoiled at first, trying to knock Kathryn out of the way lest she also be singed by the liquid. Seeing that she was alright, he regained his footing and held an arm out in front of her in case Van Helsing tried the same thing again. In pain, but furious now, the Count attacked Van Helsing then, his long-nailed fingers reaching to tighten around the hunter's neck. It was near impossible for Van Helsing to fight off such a strong creature, but if he had done his job well, then perhaps the six of them still stood a chance.

While Kathryn watched in horror as Dracula and Van Helsing grappled for the advantage, Chakotay was creeping up behind them in silence. His blood was thumping loudly in his ears, and the heightened adrenaline made him acutely aware of every move that Dracula was making right now. The dark figure mostly had Van Helsing against the wall, and a small gesture from Chakotay to his hunter friend told him it was time to give in. It was the only way to keep him still enough. And sure enough, when Van Helsing stopped fighting back so hard, the vampire was still as he bent to try and drink the blood of his enemy.

_Hopefully it works_ , Chakotay thought to himself, taking a slow, deep breath and channeling all his energy into leaping at Dracula's back. The sharp point of his stake pierced through Dracula's smart suit and his flesh, cracked through the bones of his ribcage and then--- it became stuck. 

Kathryn howled at the sight of it and ran at Chakotay, trying to pull him away from the vampire, but perhaps her anguish was what enabled the downfall of Dracula in the end. The demon turned around to see his beloved, and with his eyes set upon Kathryn and Chakotay, Van Helsing was free to run at the stake with his full body weight and drive it home and into the monster's cruel, withered heart. The Count had one of his hands entwined with Kathryn's, his fingers tightly grasping onto her for dear life. She was looking up at him with fearful, red eyes, still enamoured by him in this ghastly spell he had her under. But as his corporeal form turned to ancient dust before their eyes and parts of him began to drift to the ground in small piles of ash, the last word that Count Dracula would ever speak echoed around the cellar of that odd, cold townhouse in Piccadilly.

"Mina..."

The vowels were long and drawn out and by the same the sound had stopped reverberating, Dracula and his brides were no more. 

Now released from her trance, Kathryn stumbled back and away from the pile of ash on the floor, looking at her own hands and then up at Chakotay across the room. There was a brief moment when a look of shock crossed her face like an ocean wave on a winter's day; powerful and intense, but it crashed very quickly. She sank to her knees with exhaustion, fixated on the dust of the monster that had almost had her. No longer shocked, Captain Janeway just took a moment to breathe and think about the situation. It was so close to being unbelievable that Kathryn wondered if it had all been a dream- even the moments she had stolen with Chakotay. Would she wake up in her quarters alone? Would she have to go back to the beginning to find that chance with the man she loved all over again? She wasn't sure if she'd be able, or even willing, to do that if it were so contrived. It had happened most naturally the first time around, and Kathryn didn't believe in forcing those moments. It never worked out when people did that.

Before she could react, Chakotay had run across the room and was kneeling by her side, holding her close, pressing kisses of relief and admiration to her head and cheek. The first officer was in as much disbelief as Kathryn, but it didn't matter now that it was all over.

"Mina, are you alright?" Holmwood asked, scrambling to get up from where one of Dracula's brides had had him on the floor. The young man helped his comrades up as well, and the three of them looked at Kathryn for a response.

"Never better," she said calmly, standing up from the floor. That was her 'Captain voice'; Chakotay knew it well. "I can't thank you all enough for getting us all out of this... Unnerving situation. Abraham, you are a commendable hero."

Van Helsing gave a small smile and chuckle as thanks, putting a hand on the shoulders of Kathryn and Chakotay. He patted them firmly, then turned to gather up the weapons that lay across the floor of the cellar. There were many things Kathryn wanted to say to the men in that room, but she knew that there was only one of them whom she wanted to spend the rest of her night with. They all exchanged pleasant words and hugs and said their goodbyes, and when it felt like the right moment to leave, Chakotay found her hand in his, and her head resting on his shoulder.

"Computer," he said, suddenly feeling a little emotional. "End program."

As Holmwood, Quincey, Seward, and Van Helsing faded away, so did the sense of peril and horror that had accompanied them on that journey. There were still questions to be answered, of course, but for now, all Kathryn Janeway wanted was a hug from her friend and a good night's sleep. Whatever needed to be investigated could wait until tomorrow. Her forehead was still stinging where Van Helsing had burned her with his blessing, but the rest of her felt almost normal again. The Captain put her arms around Chakotay's middle, connected her hands behind him, and looked up at him with that same, mirthful smile he was so used to.

"How do you feel?" 

"I should be asking you that, surely," Chakotay laughed. He put one finger under her chin and lifted it up toward his face. Feeling her her rise up on tiptoes, he leaned down a little to allow their lips to meet once more. He kissed her once and then decided it wasn't enough, moving a hand to her face so he could show her just how he was feeling. This moment reminded him of that first night they spent together at the end of Lambda One, the adrenaline, the genuine fear, the way it brought them closer together. He kissed her until he felt like they might disappear. He kissed her until he felt a piece of his soul leave his body and find a home in hers. He kissed her until they were both breathless and panting and knew they wouldn't be able to control themselves if they carried on any longer.

"I'm alright," she whispered. "Really, I am. But we can't stay on the holodeck now."

"No, I suppose you're right. What should we do?"

Chakotay was pressing her for an answer, for _her_ to make the decision. Because even if he really wanted to, he would never break her rules. It would have to be her to make that call, not him.

"Walk me to my quarters?"

"Just walk you there?"

"And come inside, too."

"If you ask me to stay again, I won't be able to say no. Not after what just happened. What we've been through."

"Oh, I'm counting on it."

*****

They spent the entire night with limbs entangled beneath castles made of bedsheets and promises that hung in the air like the aurora borealis, shimmering away for anyone to see. They didn't even have to say it aloud. They knew with each kiss, each physical show of affection, that they were bonded for life. It wasn't a fleeting moment. It wasn't a fling. It was something that ran deeper than either of them could comprehend or vocalise at this point. Everything they had endured until now had been leading them here. They just knew, after everything they had been through, that this was love. Pure and simple. And it felt good. It took a while for the adrenaline to wear off, and also for them to tire each other out, but when they finally calmed down and were able to sleep, they stuck close together all night, arms circling, hearts beating, and breathing peaceful. It didn't matter whatever they would have to face the next day, even if it meant explaining things to their colleagues.

Just for that moment, there was nothing at all wrong with the entire universe.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! It makes my day when people leave kudos/comments- I love to know what you all think of my work <3


End file.
